GE Advantium Oven

General Electric's New Technology — a Lightwave Oven

No More Rubber Chicken

How many of you cooks out there have prepared a skinless chicken fillet, without oil or fat, so that it come out browned on the outside, moist on the inside, and full of wonderful flavor? I sure have tried... without success.

I have cooked skinless chicken fillets in every imaginable way — on the grill, in the oven, in the microwave, and on the cooktop. I think we've all become enamored with the skinless chicken fillet because we feel it is the healthy alternative, it has fewer calories than the skin-on version, and is a main course that everyone eats (excluding the vegetarians among us).

Grilling produces a breast that is nicely charred (yummy carcinogens!) on the outside but too dry. Standard oven cooking can be done two ways. Sauceless baking does brown the meat but leaves it dry. Cooking the meat in a sauce keeps it moist, but not browned. In both cases, the flavors are not well absorbed. Microwaves give you something resembling rubber. Cooktop cooking requires oil (not healthy), thinner breasts and patience to produce a flavorful, moist, browned fillet.

Kudos to the GE Advantium team! We tasted the chicken and, boy, is it good! The outside was perfectly browned while the inside was moist and flavorful. It was a plump, it was delicious, it was cooked without fat, and it was done in eight minutes!

The Advantium Story

Advantium, the Speed Cook oven, combines lightwaves and microwaves in the cooking process. Lightwave technology cooks with... light bulbs. Who better than GE to develop this new technology! GE employs specially engineered halogen light bulbs that have been tested to a 30-year life time. Light waves cook faster and retain more of the internal juices. The oven cooks with three elements — two 1500-watt halogen light elements at the top, one 1500-watt halogen light element on the bottom and microwaves — working together in various combinations depending on the ingredients and the desired results.

Because the technology is new, determining how to use the three elements to produce a tasty result is also new. GE home economists have tested many recipes to perfection, so the oven has settings already programmed for dozens of foods. For these tested recipes, you will only need to turn a dial to your selection and let the oven do the rest.

Pros and Cons

= pro
= con
= neutral

Pros gives a nice, even heat to the oven cavity 15- to 30-minute preparation time for dinner foods — great for people with busy lives browns the outside richly and evenly, very succulent inside — great for many of America's favorite recipes for meats, seafood, potatoes, root vegetables, appetizers, cookies, pies — great for many favorite frozen foods low fat, more taste — great for folks who are heart-healthy and want to enjoy their food because of compact size, can be placed at accessible height interior light when door is opened no new duct work required bowed handle — good space for hand allows unit to combine with venting for maximum space efficiency — good for small kitchens allows kitchen designers to place this oven in a variety of convenient locations can replace old over-the-range units price range $1299 to $1399 for the over-the-range model ten-year warranty on parts and labor for lamps available through all GE outlets smooth surface — wipes clean four times faster than conventional ovens no preheating needed leaves moisture in — delivers a moister cooking than even electric convection ovens can be just a micro programmed selections make oven use a no-brainer — good for folks who stick with standard fare cookbook included halogen cooking bulbs should not need changing with a 30-year lifetime interior space sufficient for most daily cooking needs — 9" x 12" pan fits

Cons experimentation required for non-programmed foods — cannot just wing it with three independently run elements — if you have not mastered the VCR yet, this may be a challenge does not yet come in 12"-deep wall unit for best design capacity interior space insufficient for large items / large quantities — Thanksgiving turkey only GE technician can replace faulty bulb turntables are mechanical — eventually need repair does not do the best job for doughs that need to rise because of the speed — yeast and puff pastries no self-clean mode odors and particulate released into the kitchen window with small visibility clasp is hard for opening and shutting must be over cooktop and at least 54" above floor — only good for taller folks wearing clothes that will not get in the way of the cooktop homeowner cannot plug unit in to replace old microwave on counter hinges left only — not right or down — limiting functionality in certain locations

Notes turntable — the turntable is needed to produce an even cooking 1.2 cubic feet interior oven space — lightwaves need to be close to the food to cook correctly vents into room 30" wide by 16.5" high by 15" deep for over-the-range model 30" wide by 16.5" high by 15" deep for wall oven model uses 220 volts just like regular ovens coming soon